So my doc referred me to a hematologist (who also happens to be an oncologist). So when I called to make the appointment, the woman who answered the phone said "Oncology, this is So-and-So." Needless to say, my heart dropped down to my shoes. After setting up the appointment time she says, "Now, I don't want you to freak out, but when you come to the appointment, the door says 'oncology'...it's all in one unit." Don't you think she could have said that FIRST? Geez!
Regardless, I am still a bit freaked out as there is obviously something funky going on. And the reason my doc is both a hematologist and an oncologist is because blood disorders and cancer are so closely related. Great. Anyway, I have vowed to stay off the internet and stop trying to self-diagnose myself. In the meantime, I'm just focusing on drinking my 64 oz of water every day and eating foods high in iron. For breakfast, I had a green smoothie with blackstrap molasses, which is super high in iron. Plus, it was yummy! And high in fiber! And full of vitamins and nutrients! Loooove my green smoothies. I think I could work this angle and get Tom to buy me a Vita-Mix...hm.....
Anyway, Tom gets home today from a camping trip...he cut the trip short so he could be with me in my freak-out-edness. I think staying busy is the key. It's when I get in bed at night and there's nothing to distract me that my mind starts going to those scary places. Today has been good so far...this morning I went to an ICU Skills Fair for work where I had to get checked off on a bunch of stuff like ScVO2 monitors, IVDs and lumbar drains, temporary pacemakers, PA caths, sepsis screening, pressure ulcer prevention, rotational therapy...so, that was nice and busy! Saw lots of people from my unit there...starting to feel like less and less of an outsider. In a few minutes I'm picking up my pal to grab lunch and go scrubs shopping...she starts her new job on Monday, so now all my friends have found nursing jobs...awesome!
Ok, off to make the house look like I semi-cleaned it before T gets back from his trip. Hugs to all!
Mo
Friday, July 08, 2011
Monday, July 04, 2011
Honk if you love my blog.
Hey friends and fam...I don't update this much because I am not sure anyone else reads it. Probably due to the fact that I have my privacy settings set to "If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Anyway...if you've been in touch with me at all lately, you know I landed my dream job in the ICU. It is all kinds of awesome!
In other news...dealing with some troubling blood work but am trying not to get too freaked about it. My red blood cell count is high which means I've got a horrible disorder or I'm pretty darn dehydrated. I'm going with dehydrated and as a result am drinking a ton of water...I downloaded a little app for my iPhone called Water Tracker. It's pretty neat...you can set random reminders throughout the day that say, "Hey, drink some water!" I've set my goal at 12 8-oz glasses and have done good for two whole days in a row! Apparently it takes a bit to reverse chronic dehydration, so I'm going to stick with it until I get my next blood test. I also have super high platelets, which can also be a horrible disease or an iron deficiency. Since my ferritin levels came back low, I'm hoping that's the reason for it and not Something Else. Tom (and everyone else) thinks I need to eat beef every now and again...and honestly, I probably would because this shilolah is scaring me awfully bad. However, I'd like to try alternatives first...and one of the things I've been reading about is celiac. Apparently, a significant number of people who are diagnosed with celiac have NO gastrointestinal symptoms at all....they get tested for it because they have iron-deficiency anemia (like moi). With that said, being a vegan AND following a gluten-free diet would be rather restrictive, and I may have to throw something back into the mix to replace my beloved seitan (which is 100% gluten and one of my all-time favorite things). Sigh...we shall see. I just want to get this blood work back to normal so I can stop lying awake at night thinking about all the horrible things that can happen. And I also may have a B-12 deficiency...I'm telling ya, I am one really untalented vegetarian! I am sure my doc will do more tests, so stand by...if anyone is out there, that is.
In other exciting news...Tom and I found a little house we'd like to buy. It's two streets over from us and is absolutely darling! It would make a great little rental. Not sure we have enough saved for a down payment yet, but T is supposed to call a lender tomorrow and get some ideas. I may have talked him into staying in this house, but there are some things I'd like to do to it to get it more organized and functional. Namely, I'd like to turn the office into a humungous walk-in closet. That would be The Most Awesome Thing In The World. It would also cost Way Too Much Money, but could possibly be a fun DIY project. We'll see...need to buy the little rental first, so stand by.
Oh, speaking of buying things, I bought a new car. Or rather, I committed to buying a new car. It is enroute from some mysterious place and will arrive on the 20th...only 16 days away! Yippee! It's a white Subaru Impreza hatchback. Super super cute. I'll take pics once it's in my hot little hands...or maybe a video using Tom's dorky GoPro camera. YouTube here I come!
Ok, that's enough rambling...do me a favor and post a reply if you are still reading. I'd kind of like to see which of you I've suckered into following this almost non-existant blog.
Love and hugs,
Mo!
In other news...dealing with some troubling blood work but am trying not to get too freaked about it. My red blood cell count is high which means I've got a horrible disorder or I'm pretty darn dehydrated. I'm going with dehydrated and as a result am drinking a ton of water...I downloaded a little app for my iPhone called Water Tracker. It's pretty neat...you can set random reminders throughout the day that say, "Hey, drink some water!" I've set my goal at 12 8-oz glasses and have done good for two whole days in a row! Apparently it takes a bit to reverse chronic dehydration, so I'm going to stick with it until I get my next blood test. I also have super high platelets, which can also be a horrible disease or an iron deficiency. Since my ferritin levels came back low, I'm hoping that's the reason for it and not Something Else. Tom (and everyone else) thinks I need to eat beef every now and again...and honestly, I probably would because this shilolah is scaring me awfully bad. However, I'd like to try alternatives first...and one of the things I've been reading about is celiac. Apparently, a significant number of people who are diagnosed with celiac have NO gastrointestinal symptoms at all....they get tested for it because they have iron-deficiency anemia (like moi). With that said, being a vegan AND following a gluten-free diet would be rather restrictive, and I may have to throw something back into the mix to replace my beloved seitan (which is 100% gluten and one of my all-time favorite things). Sigh...we shall see. I just want to get this blood work back to normal so I can stop lying awake at night thinking about all the horrible things that can happen. And I also may have a B-12 deficiency...I'm telling ya, I am one really untalented vegetarian! I am sure my doc will do more tests, so stand by...if anyone is out there, that is.
In other exciting news...Tom and I found a little house we'd like to buy. It's two streets over from us and is absolutely darling! It would make a great little rental. Not sure we have enough saved for a down payment yet, but T is supposed to call a lender tomorrow and get some ideas. I may have talked him into staying in this house, but there are some things I'd like to do to it to get it more organized and functional. Namely, I'd like to turn the office into a humungous walk-in closet. That would be The Most Awesome Thing In The World. It would also cost Way Too Much Money, but could possibly be a fun DIY project. We'll see...need to buy the little rental first, so stand by.
Oh, speaking of buying things, I bought a new car. Or rather, I committed to buying a new car. It is enroute from some mysterious place and will arrive on the 20th...only 16 days away! Yippee! It's a white Subaru Impreza hatchback. Super super cute. I'll take pics once it's in my hot little hands...or maybe a video using Tom's dorky GoPro camera. YouTube here I come!
Ok, that's enough rambling...do me a favor and post a reply if you are still reading. I'd kind of like to see which of you I've suckered into following this almost non-existant blog.
Love and hugs,
Mo!
Is there a hematologist in the house?
Before I graduated from nursing school, I told myself I would blog more often...especially about the trials and tribulations of my first year as a nurse. Ha. I've been way too busy, way too exhausted and way too overwhelmed. I've been working at my new job in the ICU for eleven weeks and this is the first time I've even felt like sitting down to write about it. But, truth be told, that's not what is on my mind this morning...I am dealing with some troubling lab results and that seems to be all I can think about.
I went in for my annual "girlie visit" and asked the NP about getting my cholesterol screening done. She said she'd like to throw in a CBC and chem panel as well, so I said, "sure"! You know how us ICU nurses love data...the more the merrier! So I get my results back and started with the cholesterol (excellent), worked through the chem panel (fine and dandy) and then got to the CBC (not awesome). The results are troubling and I am wracking my brain trying to "self-diagnose" myself into a non-terrifying explanation (I've since had a follow-up draw, so that's the second set of results):
WBC: 10.2, 10.9 (normal...whew!)
RBC: 6.56, 6.66 (range 3.6-5.7)
Hgb: 17.1, 17.2 (range 11.5-15)
Hct: 51.8, 51.9 (range 34-46)
MCV: 79, 78 (range 80-100)
RDW, RBC: 17.5, 18.5 (range 11.9 - 14.3)
PLTs: 859, 858 (range 140-400)
Of course, I made a little diagram showing all the possible causes for each of these results (per my lab book, so probably only a portion of the possible causes, but I had to start somewhere). The happiest, very best explanation for the elevated RBC & Hgb would be that I am chronically, chronically dehydrated. I know I don't drink enough water...I absolutely know it. I am hoping like hell this is the reason. The other possible cause is polycythemia vera, for which there is no cure. Even if I don't have PV (and knock on wood that I don't), a RBC and Hgb this high is pretty scary...stroke, organ dysfunction and pulmonary embolism have all been circling around in my head for days. Sadly, as a nurse, I know just enough to scare the crap out of myself...but not enough to be reasonable and rationale.
Moving on to the high PLTs, I've been hoping against hope that I have an iron-deficiency anemia (because, trust me, the alternatives are way cruddier than that). AND THIS JUST IN!!! I just got a lab result back and my ferritin level is 9 (normal is 22-291)!!! Ok, normally this would be huge cause for concern, but I feel like this is something I can control. The other possible causes (things like cancer, polycythemia vera, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory conditions, chronic heart disease, cirrhosis, essential thrombocythemia, leukemias, pancreatitis, TB, ulcerative colitis) are super scary.
The thing that's throwing me is that with I.D. anemia, my RBC and Hbg would be low...but possibly the dehydration is causing such hemoconcentration that it appears high despite the anemia? I did have microcytes...which is also a sign of anemia...so I don't know. I am definitely feeling better about things than I did when I sat down to write this, but I am pretty sure my doc will send me to a hematologist. In the meantime...I'm upping my water intake to 12 glasses a day and eating iron-rich foods. I've been a pretty lazy vegetarian for a while now, and am hoping I won't have to resort to eating meat. Hoping I can just get back to eating lots of greens and such...we shall see. This is scaring the pants off me, so I will do whatever I need to do to get healthy...even if it involves eating a cheeseburger. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
I went in for my annual "girlie visit" and asked the NP about getting my cholesterol screening done. She said she'd like to throw in a CBC and chem panel as well, so I said, "sure"! You know how us ICU nurses love data...the more the merrier! So I get my results back and started with the cholesterol (excellent), worked through the chem panel (fine and dandy) and then got to the CBC (not awesome). The results are troubling and I am wracking my brain trying to "self-diagnose" myself into a non-terrifying explanation (I've since had a follow-up draw, so that's the second set of results):
WBC: 10.2, 10.9 (normal...whew!)
RBC: 6.56, 6.66 (range 3.6-5.7)
Hgb: 17.1, 17.2 (range 11.5-15)
Hct: 51.8, 51.9 (range 34-46)
MCV: 79, 78 (range 80-100)
RDW, RBC: 17.5, 18.5 (range 11.9 - 14.3)
PLTs: 859, 858 (range 140-400)
Of course, I made a little diagram showing all the possible causes for each of these results (per my lab book, so probably only a portion of the possible causes, but I had to start somewhere). The happiest, very best explanation for the elevated RBC & Hgb would be that I am chronically, chronically dehydrated. I know I don't drink enough water...I absolutely know it. I am hoping like hell this is the reason. The other possible cause is polycythemia vera, for which there is no cure. Even if I don't have PV (and knock on wood that I don't), a RBC and Hgb this high is pretty scary...stroke, organ dysfunction and pulmonary embolism have all been circling around in my head for days. Sadly, as a nurse, I know just enough to scare the crap out of myself...but not enough to be reasonable and rationale.
Moving on to the high PLTs, I've been hoping against hope that I have an iron-deficiency anemia (because, trust me, the alternatives are way cruddier than that). AND THIS JUST IN!!! I just got a lab result back and my ferritin level is 9 (normal is 22-291)!!! Ok, normally this would be huge cause for concern, but I feel like this is something I can control. The other possible causes (things like cancer, polycythemia vera, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory conditions, chronic heart disease, cirrhosis, essential thrombocythemia, leukemias, pancreatitis, TB, ulcerative colitis) are super scary.
The thing that's throwing me is that with I.D. anemia, my RBC and Hbg would be low...but possibly the dehydration is causing such hemoconcentration that it appears high despite the anemia? I did have microcytes...which is also a sign of anemia...so I don't know. I am definitely feeling better about things than I did when I sat down to write this, but I am pretty sure my doc will send me to a hematologist. In the meantime...I'm upping my water intake to 12 glasses a day and eating iron-rich foods. I've been a pretty lazy vegetarian for a while now, and am hoping I won't have to resort to eating meat. Hoping I can just get back to eating lots of greens and such...we shall see. This is scaring the pants off me, so I will do whatever I need to do to get healthy...even if it involves eating a cheeseburger. Let's hope it doesn't come to that.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Life after nursing school
Here it is, the first day of 2011 and I am almost (but not quite) bored with my empty schedule. I knew it would happen, but I didn't think it would happen this fast! So far I do not have any job prospects, but I've applied to five positions so far and am waiting to hear back about four of them. Cross fingers and toes, please!
Graduation and pinning were amazing....exhausting, but amazing. I gave a speech at the pinning ceremony and was honored with an award from one of our local hospitals (it came with a nifty etched glass thingy AND a very unexpected $500 which I am using to by myself a decent camera!) I had a dessert party at my house after graduation and now I am completely SUGARED OUT. No more sugar for me. Seriously.
NCLEX is scheduled for January 24th, and I'm supposed to start studying today. At least it will give me something to do! And, now that I have all this time on my hands, I'll try to post more often (of course, the downside to this is that I have nothing of interest to post. Sigh).
Happy 2011!!!
Graduation and pinning were amazing....exhausting, but amazing. I gave a speech at the pinning ceremony and was honored with an award from one of our local hospitals (it came with a nifty etched glass thingy AND a very unexpected $500 which I am using to by myself a decent camera!) I had a dessert party at my house after graduation and now I am completely SUGARED OUT. No more sugar for me. Seriously.
NCLEX is scheduled for January 24th, and I'm supposed to start studying today. At least it will give me something to do! And, now that I have all this time on my hands, I'll try to post more often (of course, the downside to this is that I have nothing of interest to post. Sigh).
Happy 2011!!!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Hi from Mo Land!
Howdy friends! I am just popping in to say hi...things with school have been pretty busy and iIve generally just had a case of "the blahs" brought on my a severe case of senioritis. Only four more weeks of school and then I am a FREE WOMAN! In other good news, I only have three clinical shifts left and I'm getting one of those knocked out tonight...the last two are Sunday/Monday (knock on wood that my preceptor doesn't get called off).
In other news....wait, there is no other news. All I do is school stuff! I've been making lots of cookies lately...I'll have to post some recipes soon. Also, I recently discovered Soy Curls. OMG! The best thing evah!!!! More exciting photos and details to come as soon as I'm done with all this school BS and have time to cook and basically live my life. Oh yeah...and hunt for a job (it's bleak out there folks...very very bleak).
In other news....wait, there is no other news. All I do is school stuff! I've been making lots of cookies lately...I'll have to post some recipes soon. Also, I recently discovered Soy Curls. OMG! The best thing evah!!!! More exciting photos and details to come as soon as I'm done with all this school BS and have time to cook and basically live my life. Oh yeah...and hunt for a job (it's bleak out there folks...very very bleak).
Sunday, August 22, 2010
10 days until school starts...
...and have I accomplished ANY of the things I wanted to this summer? Have I...
-lost 20 pounds? No
-studied for clinicals? No
-worked on my bestseller? No
-frozen a bunch of meals to eat on busy school nights? No
-organized all my closets? No
-deep-cleaned the house? No
-filed everything in my "fun things to file" folder? No
Sigh.
On to other news, my new uniform arrived in the mail the other day. Talk about boxy...so I took the top to get altered and am hoping that it comes back much improved. It certainly couldn't get worse...I was SWIMMING in extra fabric from my chest to my hips...of course, it was a little, ahem, snug at the hips, but the rest of it was voluminous to say the least. Who is shaped like that? WHO????
My other big project as of late has been switching myself into a night person. It's not going very well. I did manage to stay up until 0230 or so the other night, but I wasn't able to sleep in, and then had to get up this morning at 0600. I tried to take a nap today, so we shall see. My goal is to get to where I can stay up until 0300 without much effort, thinking that I can pull off another four hours on adrenaline alone. We shall see. So far it is not looking good. At all.
I guess the only thing I can get accomplished now is a list of commonly-used cardiac drugs that I'm compiling for clinical. Also need to brush up on my rhythms (though I just took a cardiac monitoring course and have a nifty little lapel pin to prove it!). I don't know, I just feel like I forgot MOST of Med/Surg during the ultra-useless Peds/OB semester so I want to review a bit of that stuff as well. However, I only have ten days left, and two of those days are dedicated to learning the computer charting at the hospital....so basically eight days left...I know! I'll make a schedule. I heart a schedule.
Off to get the zucchini bread out of the oven...can you smell it?!?!?
-lost 20 pounds? No
-studied for clinicals? No
-worked on my bestseller? No
-frozen a bunch of meals to eat on busy school nights? No
-organized all my closets? No
-deep-cleaned the house? No
-filed everything in my "fun things to file" folder? No
Sigh.
On to other news, my new uniform arrived in the mail the other day. Talk about boxy...so I took the top to get altered and am hoping that it comes back much improved. It certainly couldn't get worse...I was SWIMMING in extra fabric from my chest to my hips...of course, it was a little, ahem, snug at the hips, but the rest of it was voluminous to say the least. Who is shaped like that? WHO????
My other big project as of late has been switching myself into a night person. It's not going very well. I did manage to stay up until 0230 or so the other night, but I wasn't able to sleep in, and then had to get up this morning at 0600. I tried to take a nap today, so we shall see. My goal is to get to where I can stay up until 0300 without much effort, thinking that I can pull off another four hours on adrenaline alone. We shall see. So far it is not looking good. At all.
I guess the only thing I can get accomplished now is a list of commonly-used cardiac drugs that I'm compiling for clinical. Also need to brush up on my rhythms (though I just took a cardiac monitoring course and have a nifty little lapel pin to prove it!). I don't know, I just feel like I forgot MOST of Med/Surg during the ultra-useless Peds/OB semester so I want to review a bit of that stuff as well. However, I only have ten days left, and two of those days are dedicated to learning the computer charting at the hospital....so basically eight days left...I know! I'll make a schedule. I heart a schedule.
Off to get the zucchini bread out of the oven...can you smell it?!?!?
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Precepting Assignment!!
We finally got our preceptor assignments today! I don't think I mentioned that my Plan A went totally out the window d/t a bunch of changes at the hospital I wanted to preept at. Plus, over the summer I thought a lot more about what sort of nursing I want to get into and realized that working on a telemetry floor would be a great start to either the ER or the ICU...and maybe someday a heart transplant unit (a girl can dream).
So, I ended up getting assigned to a "tele" floor at a big hospital about 20 miles from my house. The drive will stink, but I am hoping it will all be worth it. Plus, this hospital is new-grad friendly. Yippee!
I have not had any clinical rotations at this hospital so I know absolutely NOTHING about how things work over there. And yay...I get to learn yet another charting system....my favorite stress-free activity. Ha! Luckily we get a 2-day class on how to use the system...so hopefully that will be beneficial and I won't feel like a complete moron my first day.
Oh, and did I mention I'm working the NIGHT SHIFT?!?!?!?!?!? If anyone has tips for transitioning between days/nights, let me know! Somehow I have to get on a day schedule for Thursdays and Fridays...good times are ahead!
So, I ended up getting assigned to a "tele" floor at a big hospital about 20 miles from my house. The drive will stink, but I am hoping it will all be worth it. Plus, this hospital is new-grad friendly. Yippee!
I have not had any clinical rotations at this hospital so I know absolutely NOTHING about how things work over there. And yay...I get to learn yet another charting system....my favorite stress-free activity. Ha! Luckily we get a 2-day class on how to use the system...so hopefully that will be beneficial and I won't feel like a complete moron my first day.
Oh, and did I mention I'm working the NIGHT SHIFT?!?!?!?!?!? If anyone has tips for transitioning between days/nights, let me know! Somehow I have to get on a day schedule for Thursdays and Fridays...good times are ahead!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Ashtanga Day 1
In my quest to be less fat and more awesome, I am exploring Ashtanga yoga. Yes, I've been doing yoga for something like ten years now, but I've never full heartedly committed to one type of practice or another. And Ashtanga is pretty darn cool. Plus, and I hate to say this because it's very un-yoga-ish, but it's great for those of us who are rather goal oriented. By doing the same practice over and over and over, you can easily see where you are improving and, as such, there is always something to work on. I like that aspect of it very much. It is, however, very difficult....especially when you look at doing the whole primary series with all the jumping forward and jumping back. I do not have anywhere near the strength needed to do a proper jump back, and my forward jumps are rather clumsy (in my opinion)...exhibiting none of the floatiness of David Swensen or other Ashtanga gurus. Sigh.
But today, I was reading my Asthanga Practice Manual (Swensen), and in it he says he could not make it through the primary series at first. So, that is my motivation...because obviously, if you keep at it then it will get better...right? I have been going to a yoga studio to practice with Bill Counter (who is awesome!!!), but my lack of a job makes it difficult to go as often as I'd like. So, I am going to try very hard (notice the lack of the word "commit") to doing an Ashtanga practice daily and supplementing that with one or two trips to the studio each week. Now, when I say that I will do an Ashtanga practice daily, I do not mean I will do the entire series each day. I know me, and I know that I cannot commit to 1.5 to 2 hours of yoga every day. I will, however, at least do one of the short forms that Swensen outlines in his book, and will commit to a full series one or twice a week.
So, to report on today...I practiced in my office using Swenson's audio CD and book as guides. I left out the jump backs in the seated series and did "take-it-up" instead, hoping that this will help me gain the requisite core strength for those gorgeous floaty jump backs. Even with that adjustment, I only made it up to Supta Konasana and then decided that I was beat. I also decided that the office is no good for this practice, as there really isn't room to do a good Supta Konasana and the floor is rather dirty. So, I need to find a better spot that has more space and less dust. Maybe the living room if I move some stuff around. I really look forward to the day when I can have an entire corner to devote entirely to yoga...that will be awesome! I hate having to move things around...it's just one more barrier and excuse to keep me on my duff and off my matt.
Also, I have had NO CHOCOLATE so far today. Really trying to make it all day!
But today, I was reading my Asthanga Practice Manual (Swensen), and in it he says he could not make it through the primary series at first. So, that is my motivation...because obviously, if you keep at it then it will get better...right? I have been going to a yoga studio to practice with Bill Counter (who is awesome!!!), but my lack of a job makes it difficult to go as often as I'd like. So, I am going to try very hard (notice the lack of the word "commit") to doing an Ashtanga practice daily and supplementing that with one or two trips to the studio each week. Now, when I say that I will do an Ashtanga practice daily, I do not mean I will do the entire series each day. I know me, and I know that I cannot commit to 1.5 to 2 hours of yoga every day. I will, however, at least do one of the short forms that Swensen outlines in his book, and will commit to a full series one or twice a week.
So, to report on today...I practiced in my office using Swenson's audio CD and book as guides. I left out the jump backs in the seated series and did "take-it-up" instead, hoping that this will help me gain the requisite core strength for those gorgeous floaty jump backs. Even with that adjustment, I only made it up to Supta Konasana and then decided that I was beat. I also decided that the office is no good for this practice, as there really isn't room to do a good Supta Konasana and the floor is rather dirty. So, I need to find a better spot that has more space and less dust. Maybe the living room if I move some stuff around. I really look forward to the day when I can have an entire corner to devote entirely to yoga...that will be awesome! I hate having to move things around...it's just one more barrier and excuse to keep me on my duff and off my matt.
Also, I have had NO CHOCOLATE so far today. Really trying to make it all day!
Rainbow Cupcakes
This is the sort of trouble I get into when school is not in session:
I used the Basic Vanilla Cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, then got fancy with food coloring. They are just so precious, I had to take a pic. Took a dozen to a friend's house for dinner and all but one got devoured, but only because I practiced restraint and only had one cake. Gotta get less fat, and all this baking is NOT HELPING!
I used the Basic Vanilla Cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, then got fancy with food coloring. They are just so precious, I had to take a pic. Took a dozen to a friend's house for dinner and all but one got devoured, but only because I practiced restraint and only had one cake. Gotta get less fat, and all this baking is NOT HELPING!
Monday, June 07, 2010
It's time to cook!
Just like last summer, I am bored. And this boredom leads to lots of time in the kitchen making really good food that makes my booty not so awesome in white scrub pants. Today I made some delish Black Bean Burgers (they were great even though I completely left out one of the ingredients...oops!) and I also made these awesome cookies...
They are Mexican Chocolate Snickerdoodles! They have a nice chocolate flavor with a 'kick' of cayenne that comes in at the end and says "Howdy!". Sooo good! The cookies were from "Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar", and the burgers are from "Veganomicon." Two really awesome cookbooks.
If you are interested, the link to the recipe is here:
http://www.theppk.com/2009/09/mexican-hot-chocolate-snickerdoodles/
Other than that, I pretty much did nada. Summer is here.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Peanut Butter Cookies
I made the PB cookies from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. I used the wrong molasses, so they turned out kind of dark and I may have cooked them too long b/c they have a slightly burnt or toasty flavor that I'm sure was not intended. So, my verdict with these is they are so-so if you use the wrong molasses. I'll pick up some of the light molasses today and give them a do-over sometime.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Curried Carrot Dip
I just received what some call the Big Kahuna of vegan cookbooks...Veganomicon. Though I am not famous for following through on projects (note the aborted Callanetics experiment), I am going to try very very hard to cook everything in that book and post my reviews of the recipes here for my pals and anyone else who loves vegan cooking.
So, without further ado...today I made the Curried Carrot Dip. Normally, I would not choose a dip for my First Ever Veganomicon recipe, but I had a bunch of carrots to use up, so the recipe caught my eye. It was either that, or end up tossing them out. I am so glad I made the dip! I did, however, learn that I really need to invest in a food processor or a VitaMix b/c my blender suuuuuucks. I ended up mashing the remaining chunks with a fork, so I'm sure the texture would be much creamier with the proper equipment.
I would also probably use a bit more garlic than the recipe calls for...but I may be speaking too soon as I did not wait the suggested 30 mins before devouring the dip on a whole wheat pita. No worries...there is still a substantial portion left in the fridge, so I'll see how it tastes after the flavors have begun to meld.
All in all, it was an easy recipe to make and I could see using this spread to kick sandwiches up a notch...or simply enjoying on a pita is pretty yum, too. It's also a gorgeous color! Since my version is lumpier than what it should be, I didn't take a picture...but if I get a food processor, I'll make it again and post the photo...it's so pretty!
So, without further ado...today I made the Curried Carrot Dip. Normally, I would not choose a dip for my First Ever Veganomicon recipe, but I had a bunch of carrots to use up, so the recipe caught my eye. It was either that, or end up tossing them out. I am so glad I made the dip! I did, however, learn that I really need to invest in a food processor or a VitaMix b/c my blender suuuuuucks. I ended up mashing the remaining chunks with a fork, so I'm sure the texture would be much creamier with the proper equipment.
I would also probably use a bit more garlic than the recipe calls for...but I may be speaking too soon as I did not wait the suggested 30 mins before devouring the dip on a whole wheat pita. No worries...there is still a substantial portion left in the fridge, so I'll see how it tastes after the flavors have begun to meld.
All in all, it was an easy recipe to make and I could see using this spread to kick sandwiches up a notch...or simply enjoying on a pita is pretty yum, too. It's also a gorgeous color! Since my version is lumpier than what it should be, I didn't take a picture...but if I get a food processor, I'll make it again and post the photo...it's so pretty!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Another one bites the dust...
Yippe-kye-yay...another semester done and only one more to go! I ended up with a 95% in OB and a 96.4% in Peds...why do I know this? Because I have a great app called GradeCalc on my iPod. Because of this fantastic application, I walked into my Peds final knowing I only needed a 65% in order to get an A...talk about taking the pressure off!
The other two classes I had were skills labs and were credit/no credit. Pretty sure I got credit...at least I hope I did, because I sure as heck did all the BS-y assignments and running around I had to do.
Not much else of excitement to report. I've got about 8 days off and then summer school starts. I opted to take a writing intensive class this semester instead of in the fall. I figure if I end up working nights I will be really really glad to have this 18 page paper out of my hair. Plus, all my favorite peeps are taking it, so it won't be too terribly bad. I am also in the process of applying for an internship with Kaiser...there were about 40 people at the orientation for 4-8 spots...so not super great odds (and sadly, they are not basing it on GPA). I will know in about two weeks if I got that sweet little gig or not...otherwise, my only plans for the summer are to celebrate my birthday, work on my bestseller, do some gardening and spend lots of time experimenting in the kitchen. Fun fun!
Good luck on finals everyone!
The other two classes I had were skills labs and were credit/no credit. Pretty sure I got credit...at least I hope I did, because I sure as heck did all the BS-y assignments and running around I had to do.
Not much else of excitement to report. I've got about 8 days off and then summer school starts. I opted to take a writing intensive class this semester instead of in the fall. I figure if I end up working nights I will be really really glad to have this 18 page paper out of my hair. Plus, all my favorite peeps are taking it, so it won't be too terribly bad. I am also in the process of applying for an internship with Kaiser...there were about 40 people at the orientation for 4-8 spots...so not super great odds (and sadly, they are not basing it on GPA). I will know in about two weeks if I got that sweet little gig or not...otherwise, my only plans for the summer are to celebrate my birthday, work on my bestseller, do some gardening and spend lots of time experimenting in the kitchen. Fun fun!
Good luck on finals everyone!
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
And the Winners Are...
1) Trauma Nursing Unit at a Level 1 trauma center
2) Organ transplant
3) Vascular/GI
Oh...and I may have to work nights. Not sure how that's going to work since I have daytime lectures and community health clinical, but if others can do it, I can too.
I'll find out in July which one I get...so, for now I wait.
2) Organ transplant
3) Vascular/GI
Oh...and I may have to work nights. Not sure how that's going to work since I have daytime lectures and community health clinical, but if others can do it, I can too.
I'll find out in July which one I get...so, for now I wait.
Only two more weeks!
Well, the end of the semester is upon us folks. Only two more weeks and then I'm FREE for about a week and then summer school starts. Don't get too excited..I'm only taking one class and it's a theory type class for which I have to write a 5,000 word paper about a clinical case I had. I get the feeling there's going to be some creative license taken with this one. But anyway...
The good news of the day is that clinicals are finished for this semester! Had my last day in OB last night in the L&D unit. I saw one vag and one C/S...I have to say I prefer watching the C/S than the vag births. Let's just say I'm one of those people who is very sensitive to odors. I really have to get over that...anyone have any good tips? And no, breathing through my mouth does not work because then I can taste it. Or at least I think I can.
What else? Oh, I have my meeting today about preceptorship and I'm pretty sure I've come up with a game plan. I don't think I'm going to go with the ICU and there are a few reasons for this. 1) I need to go to the unit that will make me the most marketable for the highest number of jobs. M/S wins that one hands down. 2) I really feel like I need to learn the basics before I jump into the complicated stuff. I am serious when I say I am a baby stepper...if you saw the way I learned how to do a backward dive, you'd understand (I stood on the pool ladder and dove back from there, gradually going up each step of the ladder until I could do it from the side of the pool)...that's pretty much how I approach big scary things and so far it's worked well for me...i could do a backward dive like nobody's business!. M/S definitely wins on that one as it's a great way to get a solid foundation in nursing. 3) I feel that if I do M/S first I can branch off from there and go anywhere, and at this point I am very undecided about what I want to be when I grow up. Maybe ICU, maybe ER, maybe a transplant unit. Sigh...I wish there were three of me. 4) I seriously need to learn how to be more organized...I honestly feel that learning to juggle a full patient load on a busy unit will be one of my greatest challenges...If I can do that, I can do just about anything!
Ok, small confession...I sometimes wonder if I like the ICU because it doesn't make me feel like a chicken running around with its head cut off. Yes, I dig all the complicated pathophysiology, nifty gadgets and the ability to watch my patients like a hawk...but I also like not running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I kind of feel like I need to get past the chicken head stage before I'll feel confident enough to move to more critical patients. Does that make any sense at all? Besides...who's to say I can't read my text on Critical Care Nursing regardless of where I work? Hmmm?
Meeting today at 3:30...stay tuned to see where I've decided to go!
The good news of the day is that clinicals are finished for this semester! Had my last day in OB last night in the L&D unit. I saw one vag and one C/S...I have to say I prefer watching the C/S than the vag births. Let's just say I'm one of those people who is very sensitive to odors. I really have to get over that...anyone have any good tips? And no, breathing through my mouth does not work because then I can taste it. Or at least I think I can.
What else? Oh, I have my meeting today about preceptorship and I'm pretty sure I've come up with a game plan. I don't think I'm going to go with the ICU and there are a few reasons for this. 1) I need to go to the unit that will make me the most marketable for the highest number of jobs. M/S wins that one hands down. 2) I really feel like I need to learn the basics before I jump into the complicated stuff. I am serious when I say I am a baby stepper...if you saw the way I learned how to do a backward dive, you'd understand (I stood on the pool ladder and dove back from there, gradually going up each step of the ladder until I could do it from the side of the pool)...that's pretty much how I approach big scary things and so far it's worked well for me...i could do a backward dive like nobody's business!. M/S definitely wins on that one as it's a great way to get a solid foundation in nursing. 3) I feel that if I do M/S first I can branch off from there and go anywhere, and at this point I am very undecided about what I want to be when I grow up. Maybe ICU, maybe ER, maybe a transplant unit. Sigh...I wish there were three of me. 4) I seriously need to learn how to be more organized...I honestly feel that learning to juggle a full patient load on a busy unit will be one of my greatest challenges...If I can do that, I can do just about anything!
Ok, small confession...I sometimes wonder if I like the ICU because it doesn't make me feel like a chicken running around with its head cut off. Yes, I dig all the complicated pathophysiology, nifty gadgets and the ability to watch my patients like a hawk...but I also like not running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I kind of feel like I need to get past the chicken head stage before I'll feel confident enough to move to more critical patients. Does that make any sense at all? Besides...who's to say I can't read my text on Critical Care Nursing regardless of where I work? Hmmm?
Meeting today at 3:30...stay tuned to see where I've decided to go!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
I hurt all over...
Just checking in to say that the Callanetics video kicked my bootie. My body hurts from head to toe...well, from neck to thighs. Went on a bike ride today for 90 minutes and thought that would help...I suspect I will be even more sore in the morning.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Peds almost done, OB here I come!
This coming week is a week of lasts...my last week in Peds, my last week EVER of having to go to the hospital to pick a patient, and also my last week EVER of doing pre-clinical prep. And you can bet your sweet tookus there's a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge to celebrate the moment I finish my last write up. I am soooo excited to be done with all that prep work...we don't choose patients the day before in OB and we don't do it with preceptorship either. This is the end of an era folks...the end of the stress, the concept maps, the sick feeling that I surely missed something. I. Can't. Freakin'. Wait!
So, let's see....school is going well. Got a 96 or so on my first peds exam and a 95 on my second OB exam. Woo hoo. We've got a Peds test coming up this Friday and I really should be studying for that instead of listening to 5-0 radio (police and fire scanner app on the ol' iPod) and updating this blog. But I am seriously suffering from senior-itis and all I want to do is jick-jack around and pretend I'm a "normal person."
I've been thinking a lot about my ICU vs. M/S dilemma for 4th semester and I really really really want to go the ICU route. I love it too much to even think about doing anything else, and even though the job prospects aren't as plentiful I also have to remind myself that I will never have this opportunity again and I should take it. Besides, I plan on kicking total booty during my preceptorship, so I am hopeful I'll make some connections that will help me land my dream job. After all, I throw down like nobody's business :-)
Any other news? Guess not...just finishing up some group projects and looking forward to Spring Break. Believe it or not I am actually going somewhere this time...heading to Oregon to spend 5 days on the beach. It's going to be quiet and lazy and beautiful. Just what Nurse Mo ordered.
So, let's see....school is going well. Got a 96 or so on my first peds exam and a 95 on my second OB exam. Woo hoo. We've got a Peds test coming up this Friday and I really should be studying for that instead of listening to 5-0 radio (police and fire scanner app on the ol' iPod) and updating this blog. But I am seriously suffering from senior-itis and all I want to do is jick-jack around and pretend I'm a "normal person."
I've been thinking a lot about my ICU vs. M/S dilemma for 4th semester and I really really really want to go the ICU route. I love it too much to even think about doing anything else, and even though the job prospects aren't as plentiful I also have to remind myself that I will never have this opportunity again and I should take it. Besides, I plan on kicking total booty during my preceptorship, so I am hopeful I'll make some connections that will help me land my dream job. After all, I throw down like nobody's business :-)
Any other news? Guess not...just finishing up some group projects and looking forward to Spring Break. Believe it or not I am actually going somewhere this time...heading to Oregon to spend 5 days on the beach. It's going to be quiet and lazy and beautiful. Just what Nurse Mo ordered.
Callanetics Experiment Part II
The reason I thought the "Great Callanetics Experiment" sounded familiar was probably b/c I keep stopping and starting these "experiments." Not sure why I do that since I am notoriously bad at finishing things...great at starting things, crap-tastically cruddy at finishing them.
Anyway, I am once again embarking into the world of Callanetics. I always peter out right when I'm starting to see results AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHY!!! Probably some weird psychological weirdness, but that's for my future therapist to figure out.
So this experiment entails completing 50 Callanetics workouts by my birthday in 15 weeks. That's 3-4 workouts a week. And because I love rules (as long as I'm the one that makes them), I have come up with some rules for this experiment...I'm calling it the "Fabulous by Forty" experiment. Catchy, eh?
1) If I do 4 workouts in a week, then 1 of them can be one of the short 15-minute workouts (hips or legs) and one of them can be one of the Bar Method videos...don't want to get too bored!
2) Stick as closely to my vegan diet as I can...I'm at about 80% compliance (it's the darn cheese that gets me!)
3) Drink 64 oz of water each day...this is probably a 50 oz increase over my usual water intake.
4) 3 glasses of wine each week (instead of 2 glasses each day...can you say hellloooo to herbal tea?). I expect this little rule by itself to result in a few pounds of weight loss all on its own.
5) Use my whitening toothpaste 2x a day.
6) Never ever ever go to bed with makeup on. Ever. (this is a tough one for me)
7) Deep condition hair once a week (also a difficult one for me to stick to)
8) At least 5 servings of fruits and veggies each day (this one is also tough for me)
9) 2-3 cardio workouts each week...either a walk or bike ride. Running is out d/t my old lady hip issues I've had off and on since I was 30.
10) Measurements and pics after each block of 10 workouts. Oh the shame. Oh the humiliation.
Week 1, Day 1, Callanetics 1:
I did the original Callanetics video today. Not so bad, except I petered out on the first leg exercises and the blasted, evil pelvic rotations. I also had to support my neck during about half of the ab exercises, but I suspect I'll only have to do this for the first 4-5 workouts or so. I was supposed to go on a bike ride, but my friend cancelled and since I can't be trusted to do anything like that on my own, I went shopping instead. Plan for tomorrow is either a bike ride or a walk in the morning. Leaning torward an hour long walk, b/c I have got to get back home and start studying for my Peds exam coming up on Friday. Oh, and I measured...but I'm not posting the numbers until they shrink a little. It's too horrific and this is a family show (ha!).
Anyway, I am once again embarking into the world of Callanetics. I always peter out right when I'm starting to see results AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHY!!! Probably some weird psychological weirdness, but that's for my future therapist to figure out.
So this experiment entails completing 50 Callanetics workouts by my birthday in 15 weeks. That's 3-4 workouts a week. And because I love rules (as long as I'm the one that makes them), I have come up with some rules for this experiment...I'm calling it the "Fabulous by Forty" experiment. Catchy, eh?
1) If I do 4 workouts in a week, then 1 of them can be one of the short 15-minute workouts (hips or legs) and one of them can be one of the Bar Method videos...don't want to get too bored!
2) Stick as closely to my vegan diet as I can...I'm at about 80% compliance (it's the darn cheese that gets me!)
3) Drink 64 oz of water each day...this is probably a 50 oz increase over my usual water intake.
4) 3 glasses of wine each week (instead of 2 glasses each day...can you say hellloooo to herbal tea?). I expect this little rule by itself to result in a few pounds of weight loss all on its own.
5) Use my whitening toothpaste 2x a day.
6) Never ever ever go to bed with makeup on. Ever. (this is a tough one for me)
7) Deep condition hair once a week (also a difficult one for me to stick to)
8) At least 5 servings of fruits and veggies each day (this one is also tough for me)
9) 2-3 cardio workouts each week...either a walk or bike ride. Running is out d/t my old lady hip issues I've had off and on since I was 30.
10) Measurements and pics after each block of 10 workouts. Oh the shame. Oh the humiliation.
Week 1, Day 1, Callanetics 1:
I did the original Callanetics video today. Not so bad, except I petered out on the first leg exercises and the blasted, evil pelvic rotations. I also had to support my neck during about half of the ab exercises, but I suspect I'll only have to do this for the first 4-5 workouts or so. I was supposed to go on a bike ride, but my friend cancelled and since I can't be trusted to do anything like that on my own, I went shopping instead. Plan for tomorrow is either a bike ride or a walk in the morning. Leaning torward an hour long walk, b/c I have got to get back home and start studying for my Peds exam coming up on Friday. Oh, and I measured...but I'm not posting the numbers until they shrink a little. It's too horrific and this is a family show (ha!).
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Torn between two lovers....
For some reason that song pops into my head when I think about putting in my preferences for precepting next semester. I am torn between the ICu (which I love but am not likely to get a job in right away d/t the horrible hiring situation here) and good old fashioned M/S (which will get me a good solid basis, invaluable time management, organizational skills...and maybe a job). UGH!
It seems whenever I talk to the seasoned nurses they tell me to go the M/S route, but then I talk to others who went straight into the ICU, and those people tell me to follow my heart. Torn torn torn. I also kind of like peds, but I think the reason I've liked it so far is that I haven't had to do anything with a child that really requires their total and complete cooperation. For instance, I haven't had to put an NG tube in a child or a Foley...I certainly haven't tried an IV or even given an injection to a tiny little tot. I know how "not patient" I am, and I also know that causing pain to someone who doesn't understand why I'm doing it would be really really hard. So, even though the kiddos are cute as heck and don't have nearly the same degree of smelliness as their adult counterparts..I just don't think I can go into peds (at least not right away).
I really need to figure out what I'm going to do...I am sure I want to work in the ICU...I am 100% certain of that. I love all the gadgets and technology. I love the pathophysiology and ability to totally focus on one or two patients. I love things that are complicated and challenging, but at the same time I am absolutely scared to death. The idea of being "the nurse" for any patient (critical or not) freaks me out to no end. Right now I can take some comfort in knowing that if I can't figure something out, I just go get "the real nurse." I am reminded every time I go to clinical how NOT READY I am to take care of patients. At all.
Again...torn, torn torn. Sigh...
It seems whenever I talk to the seasoned nurses they tell me to go the M/S route, but then I talk to others who went straight into the ICU, and those people tell me to follow my heart. Torn torn torn. I also kind of like peds, but I think the reason I've liked it so far is that I haven't had to do anything with a child that really requires their total and complete cooperation. For instance, I haven't had to put an NG tube in a child or a Foley...I certainly haven't tried an IV or even given an injection to a tiny little tot. I know how "not patient" I am, and I also know that causing pain to someone who doesn't understand why I'm doing it would be really really hard. So, even though the kiddos are cute as heck and don't have nearly the same degree of smelliness as their adult counterparts..I just don't think I can go into peds (at least not right away).
I really need to figure out what I'm going to do...I am sure I want to work in the ICU...I am 100% certain of that. I love all the gadgets and technology. I love the pathophysiology and ability to totally focus on one or two patients. I love things that are complicated and challenging, but at the same time I am absolutely scared to death. The idea of being "the nurse" for any patient (critical or not) freaks me out to no end. Right now I can take some comfort in knowing that if I can't figure something out, I just go get "the real nurse." I am reminded every time I go to clinical how NOT READY I am to take care of patients. At all.
Again...torn, torn torn. Sigh...
Saturday, February 13, 2010
3rd Semester is Underway
Just a quick note to say hey...just finished 3rd week of 3rd semester and so far so good. I don't want to jinx myself, but I am nowhere NEAR as stressed or freaked out as last semester at this time. Basically this semester I have only TWO classes (more or less). I have OB and Peds...technically each of those have a skills class associated with it but we don't meet every week so I tend to not even count it. Peds skills does have a community health component to it, so yes...I am still driving to the ghetto to provide nursey stuff to under-served populations. This is something my school is very into...and I think I end up with some kind of certification in community health nursing as well...honestly, I don't even know. I'll see what my diploma says when I get it. Ha!
I started this semester in Peds rotation...kinda glad to get it over with for a couple of reasons. 1) clinical preps are such a pain in the neck...only four more to do! 2) kids don't take a deep breath whenever you ask them to, they don't hold still for their BP or temp, and they generally wiggle pretty much all the time. They are, however, much more cheerful than adults (for the most part), so that's a nice change of pace. The downside is that you can't have a meaningful conversation with them, and we all know how chatty I am.
This past week I was in pediatric oncology and next week I get to do two clinical days (joy joy)...both are basically observation days and the first day I'll go to an endocrinology clinic in the morning, and urgent care in the afternoon...on Wednesday I go to the NICU in the morning and the PICU in the afternoon. The bonus to this week is no clinical preps and I won't be in charge of anyone...can kind of take a mental break which is perfect timing since I have a Peds exam on Friday. Gah.
After this first Peds exam, the semester gets into its normal routine and I am hoping really hard that I'll be able to take one day off a week. I spoke to a 4th semester student the other day who said she was able to take the entire weekend off....can you imagine???? That would be absolutely INSANE!!! Just thinking about it makes me all giddy and squishy inside.
Off to study kiddie-sized respiratory disorders with a schmummy glass of Jeff Runquist wine. In the den. With my feet up. Chillaxin. To see the irony of this statement, refer back to some of my first semester posts to see what a head case I was:-) Not sure if this new attitude will last...but I'm embracing it for as long as I can.
I started this semester in Peds rotation...kinda glad to get it over with for a couple of reasons. 1) clinical preps are such a pain in the neck...only four more to do! 2) kids don't take a deep breath whenever you ask them to, they don't hold still for their BP or temp, and they generally wiggle pretty much all the time. They are, however, much more cheerful than adults (for the most part), so that's a nice change of pace. The downside is that you can't have a meaningful conversation with them, and we all know how chatty I am.
This past week I was in pediatric oncology and next week I get to do two clinical days (joy joy)...both are basically observation days and the first day I'll go to an endocrinology clinic in the morning, and urgent care in the afternoon...on Wednesday I go to the NICU in the morning and the PICU in the afternoon. The bonus to this week is no clinical preps and I won't be in charge of anyone...can kind of take a mental break which is perfect timing since I have a Peds exam on Friday. Gah.
After this first Peds exam, the semester gets into its normal routine and I am hoping really hard that I'll be able to take one day off a week. I spoke to a 4th semester student the other day who said she was able to take the entire weekend off....can you imagine???? That would be absolutely INSANE!!! Just thinking about it makes me all giddy and squishy inside.
Off to study kiddie-sized respiratory disorders with a schmummy glass of Jeff Runquist wine. In the den. With my feet up. Chillaxin. To see the irony of this statement, refer back to some of my first semester posts to see what a head case I was:-) Not sure if this new attitude will last...but I'm embracing it for as long as I can.
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